Softball | 09/20/21 | 5:15 PM

HELENA, Mont. – Carroll College is excited to announce that Brian Bessette has been named the interim head coach of the Carroll Softball program for the 2021-22 school year.
 
"It's a dream come true. I get to be a full-time softball coach," Bessette said. "I am really excited to be at Carroll College. I love the feel of the campus here and I have already been so welcomed by all of the other coaches. Being on campus is going to be a ton of fun, being at other sporting events and supporting the other teams and working with the other coaches is something I really look forward to."

"I am looking forward to Brian getting on the field with our softball team," Athletic Director Charlie Gross said. "He has demonstrated great success leading teams on the diamond and equally important, Brian has been a lifelong educator and fully understands the role that athletics play in the development of student-athletes."
 
Bessette has spent over two decades coaching softball in the Missoula area. He coached at the high school level for many years at both Sentinel and Loyola Sacred Heart. 
 
In his time at Sentinel, he compiled an overall record of 100-49 and led the Spartans to four Western AA conference championships in six seasons. 
 
At Loyola, Bessette was the head coach for two years. In his first season, he led the Breakers to a divisional title and a fourth-place finish at state. His second year was the 2020 season, which got canceled as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. 
 
Bessette has also seen great levels of success at the club level. As an assistant coach of Lady Mavs 18U fastpitch, he was a part of two state championships. As a club head coach for Lady Osprey fastpitch and Montana Sparks fastpitch, Bessette totaled three state championships, runner-up finishes, and two third place finishes. In 2019 the Montana Sparks won the Western World Series in Wenatchee, Wash., under his leadership.
 
In addition to spear-heading a number of softball teams, Bessette also helped direct softball camps for over 20 years and served as a private hitting instructor for six years.
 
Outside of softball, Bessette has lots of experience as an administrator. He served as the K-6 principal and 6-8 activities director at Bonner Elementary from 2003-2009 and the K-5 principal at Lowell Elementary from 2009-2017.
 
College softball is the family business for Bessette. He is a relative of University of Montana head coach Melanie Meuchel, U of M assistant Dennis Meuchel, and University of Arkansas assistant Matt Meuchel. Now he is the fourth in his family to coach at the collegiate level.